songs in the key of my life

nyc: may 1st immigration and workers rights march

dear readers,

a friend and community organizer, betty yu, just put out this call to attend today’s may 1st march. keep reading for info on the wheres and whys. i’ll be there, taking pictures and spitting some political poetry. stay tuned for images from the scene.

peace,

roopa singh/political poet

*

Hey,

So I really hope you all can come out to tomorrow’s May 1st March calling on Pres. Obama to Repeal the Modern Slave Law aka Employers Sanctions Provision, Employers’ sanctions is a law that was passed 20 years ago in the name of punishing the employer, but in reality criminalizes immigrants and creates an underclass of labor who have no rights or protection under the law. Under this modern slave law undocumented workers do not even have the freedom to sell their own labor. Because of this law, the underground economy is expanding, dividing native-born, documented, and undocumented workers. This creates cutthroat competition and keeps workers from organizing together, causing workers’ wages to plummet and making life harder.

We will be gathering at 2pm tomorrow, Friday May 1st at Roosevelt Park in Chinatown, then marching to Union Square at 3pm to call for an end to this slave law. This march is being organized by the Break the Chains Alliance, a coalition is made of workers’ organizations such as Chinese Staff & Workers’ Association (CSWA) and National Mobilization Against Sweatshops. As you all may know I’m an active volunteer and board member of CSWA so it would be great to get your support and to see you out there!

Below is the info for the march tomorrow.

Hope to see you out there!

-Betty

After the march, join us at our Brooklyn Workers’ Center for food and refreshments (Scroll down for info).

NEW YORK CITY
2:00pm
RALLY at ROOSEVELT PARK in CHINATOWN
(Grand St. between Forsyth and Chrystie St.,
B/D Train to Grand St. Station)
3:00pm
MARCH to UNION SQUARE

1. REPEAL EMPLOYER SANCTIONS
Employers’ sanctions is a law that was passed 20 years ago in the name of punishing the employer, but in reality criminalizes immigrants and creates an underclass of labor who have no rights or protection under the law. Under this modern slave law[1] undocumented workers do not even have the freedom to sell their own labor. Because of this law, the underground economy is expanding, dividing native-born, documented, and undocumented workers. This creates cutthroat competition and keeps workers from organizing together, causing workers’ wages to plummet and making life harder. In the midst of this economic crisis, reforms that strengthen employers’ sanctions will cause working people to suffer more, creating mass unemployment while forcing some to be completely overworked. We urge Obama not to strengthen employers’ sanctions but to repeal the modern slave law. Furthermore, we want him to legislate equal rights for all workers and create an on-going mechanism for undocumented workers to
adjust their status.

2. DUMP MAYOR BLOOMBERG
Stop Mayor Bloomberg from shifting the economic crisis onto the backs of working people and stop him from dividing our communities.
Billionaire Mayor Michael Bloomberg is pushing racist rezoning plans — from Harlem to Willets Point in Queens, and from Sunset Park, Brooklyn to the Lower East Side and Chinatown in Manhattan — that serve the interests of developers and rich whites while displacing low-income working-class people of color. He has slashed the budget for crucial services, while increasing the cost of living for working people, essentially robbing the working poor to feed the filthy rich. Bloomberg has grown to be the richest man in NYC while working people have grown poorer. We call on all New Yorkers to Dump Bloomberg this year.

We march to forge unity among immigrant and native-born workers, to stop the attacks on working people, and build a movement to demand equal rights for all workers

7pm — Join us for a post-march get together at our Brooklyn Workers’ Center
The Brooklyn Workers’ Center is located at 93 Third Avenue,
downtown Brooklyn (corner of Bergen St.)
The closest trains are the N/Q/R/B/D/4/5/2/3 to Atlantic/ Pacific stop in Brooklyn. Use the Pacific exit onto Fourth Ave . Walk down Pacific to Third Ave. and turn left. Walk two blocks to the corner of Bergen.
Brooklyn Workers Center: 718-625-9091.